A Gift for Kíli
by Jessie152
Summary: How many fanfiction stories can a dwarf endure? Kíli is really down and out. Is there still hope for our favorite dwarf? This work was inspired by Cassandrala's parody 'How To Wreck a Mary Sue'. It's not only a gift for Kíli but to all of you who need a happy Kíli after all the BoFA stress. Lots of family fluff and a little bit of fixit!AU!
1. Chapter 1

**A Gift for Kíli**

**Disclaimer:** The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings and all characters therein are the property of the Tolkien Estate and Wingnut Films. This story is for entertainment only and the author is in no way profiting from it, nor exercising any claims to The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings.

**Chapter I**

Kíli woke in an almost dark room. It was quiet and warm, no signs of danger. He'd no idea how long he'd slept and it was hard to get his still tired brain going. _Better not to move,_ he thought. Who knows how long this will last. He'd been in far too many stories, too many scenarios, he'd outright lost track of time and place. And to be honest, at that very moment he really didn't care. It was not just that his maker had killed him unceremoniously without a big fuss in the original novel first hand (he didn't even know if he'd got a proper funeral or was left on the battlefield to rot). Now there were these bombastic movies, messing up his far too short life still more. And then the action started in earnest. Ok, ok, there were a few nice survival stories, but the sheer numbers of them were wearing him out, not to mention the countless battles, injuries, deaths and other unspeakable things. No, thank you very much!

Slowly he could think more straight again, cracked open one eye and risked a glance. The room was slightly lit up by a small window. It must be well before daybreak and the shutters were closed. So, there was not much to see at all. He shifted a little with a sigh and closed his eye again; the bed was markedly comfortable.

_Shit_, a jolt of panic was rising in his gut; in the majority of cases he was recovering from grave injuries or already half dead when he got the luxury of such a bed. Frantically he felt his body for signs of wounds, bandages under the heavy coverings… something. His legs (especially his right thigh just above the knee), stomach, chest and back, shoulders, arms and head… and found nothing. And he still had his stubble and his hair! He felt whole and delightfully free of pain. Kíli slumped. What luck, nothing of that at least.

It was far too quiet for any kind of action story. Well, so with no one else around he was most likely in another romance. Kíli slowly rolled over on his left side, not eager to know what he might see and risked a second glance. Indeed, in the faint glint of light he recognized the frame of a second person, lying quietly on the other side of the wide bed, tightly wrapped in blankets, turning their back on him. Definitely a romance or… no, please! Kíli sat bolt upright with shock, his eyes went wide in the dim light. Please, not that again. As much as Kíli loved his brother's company, not in THAT kind of story. He never really caught why so many writers where thinking such a thing of them. Fíli and he, they were brothers after all.

Fortunately his worry was short lived, the other sleeper was far too fine-boned to be Fíli. Kíli hung his head and rubbed his forehead, eyes squeezed shut. "Ok," he shouted, grabbing the persons shoulder, shaking fiercely, "wake up. I don't have all day for this!"

No response.

Who ever it was, he or she slept on. Kíli couldn't even get the blanket off, a corner still covering the head and face. It stuck like glue.

Kíli quickly lost his temper. What a lousy situation! The lack of any other company was annoying and the un - eventfulness was rapidly grating on his nerves. Maybe he was stuck in one of these abandoned stories, untouched for months or longer. Or, worst case scenario: the writer has collapsed watching the third movie! Mahal, the third movie! It probably was about that time. Kíli shuddered, he really never wanted that. Not to mention all the grisly stories certainly triggered by this flick. Why couldn't they not simply leave him be?

Sitting here and wailing would get him nowhere. Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed with a frustrated growl he glanced around for his chlothes. He could not simply walk into a dubious situation only dressed in his underwear. With the light slowly dawning he spotted the unruly pile on a chair within reach, his boots underneath.

He grabbed his trousers and put them on; the socks were next in line. He couldn't find his hair clasp right off, leaving his hair undone. What ever! He was used to looking like that. But to be honest, he really loved that thing. Heaving him self up with a sigh he stepped into his much-loved boots and buckled up his belt at the same time. He headed for the door, slipping on his shirt as he went. Not wasting much thought on his still unresponsive bed companion he reached out for the knob and hesitated. He was outright unarmed. No time to bother about that right now.

Slowly he turned the knob, cracked the door very carefully and peeked outside. First right, then left. Not a soul to be seen. A small hallway, floorboards, angled roof beams, a few more doors, another small window to his right and a stairway to his left, leading downward.

Kíli strained his ears. Perceiving no signs of imminent danger he swiftly slipped out in the hallway, tiptoed towards the stairs and went down, slightly crouched. His left hand touched the wall for balance. The last thing Kíli needed to deal with was to stumble in the still faint light shining from the hallway behind. Thankfully the steps didn't creak.

It was only one floor down and the stairway led him to another hallway. A stone floor in friendly browns, wood paneled walls, covered with tapestries, several chests, a chair, a bench, a blanket drooping to the floor. Kíli straightened himself, clenching his fists. This was not a dangerous atmosphere, may be no need to crouch any longer?

The hallway opened up in a large room, a kind of huge kitchen-diner and Kíli instantly felt home. Rich wood carvings everywhere. A massive table and chairs, everything one need to live a good life.

Kíli couldn't help but stare, jaw dropping.

If the furniture hadn't been in a proper dwarven size and the carvings not carried out in the characteristic Durin style, the whole place could have been Beorn's!

Shifting off his first astonishment Kili approached the table with a smile. _It's nice this place_, he thought. Would it be his doing, he wouldn't have done it any different. Absentmindedly he brushed his fingertips over the smooth well worn table top. Three empty tankards were sitting there, looking like they'd been left just this minute, smelling slightly of stale ale. _Oh_, couldn't these please be his and Fíli's… and Thorin's.

The whole place looked used; more than that, it looked shared. There were leftovers of a substantial late night supper on the counter and cleaned dishes, stacked to dry.

Kíli scratched the back of his head. As much as he craved to just sit down and be home, he still needed answers to what kind of odd story this was, and he couldn't get them from an empty room. So he strode over to what looked like the front door and stepped outside.

He was greeted by a soft morning breeze. It clearly was autumn time, the air a rich blend of last summer warmth, mingled with a distant touch of winter chill. Sun wasn't yet up, but the sky had already turned in shades of light blue, the eastern horizon glowing in orange and red.

Kíli looked around. The house was L-shaped and had a sturdy frame-work built out with clinker brick. Together with a stable-barn it framed a small yard. And there in a paddock on the opposite side of the yard two ponies were quietly munching on a pile of hay. Their heads flew up, eying the dwarf. They looked curious, nostrils wide and ears thrust out. One of them nickered, clearly recognizing Kíli. _Nice_, Kili thought, _at least someone is talking to me._

A massive Mountain range stretched far to the northwest; all blue and grey in the heights, the hillsides were dotted with pale colors of fall. The distant peaks, partly veiled with mist were already covered with snow. Kíli was struck by a sense of déjà vu. What a gorgeous sight!

Suddenly the light changed and Kíli spun around. The sun rose, sending the first rays to this new day, bathing the land in golden light. Kíli stood and watched in awe. The sun rose swiftly and warmed his face. He savored the moment and closed his eyes. Deep breaths…

As much as he might wish, he couldn't stand there forever, basking in the moment. He still wanted to know what was going on. The house was nestled on a gentle foothill slope facing southeast and the gate stood open to a path downhill. A small village lay spread out not far away, and he could hear some distant noises, a dog barking, a clatter of metal, a cock crowing. So maybe there was a chance to get some answers there.

With another sigh Kíli went back to the house: time to retrieve his remaining gear and set off.

He realized it before the door was open. An unpleasant tickle was running up his spine, setting his senses on alarm. He cursed himself. _Never get distracted in an obscure situation_. A sharp sensation of imminent danger suddenly was in the air, some kind of reverberation, not quite identifiable.

Someone has just left the room!

Kíli cracked open the door and looked inside very carefully. He was still unarmed after all.

There was no one to see, but something has changed. A fire was burning in the hearth, warming the oven above. The air was different; the room was flooded with the smell of warm food. Ignoring the sudden rumbling of his empty stomach, Kíli strode over to the table and gaped.

As if by magic, a package had appeared on the table, his hair clasp on top. And along with it a letter was leaning against one of the mugs.

"_To Kíli, son of Dìs"_

Kíli didn't hesitate. He took it, broke the seal and read:

_Dear Kíli,_

…

**AN:** Thank you for reading my little Christmas gift for Kíli, I think, he deserved it.

I'm very grateful for summerald's support and the nudge in the right direction. I couldn't have done this without her. Her Erebor 3022 AU is always a huge encouragement and a perfect cure for any kind of Hobbit-movie-depression!

She was also my premium beta for my very first fic, fantastic teamwork, thank you so very much. Mahal's blessings!


	2. Chapter II - The Letter

**A Gift for Kíli**

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings and all characters therein are the property of the Tolkien Estate and Wingnut Films. This story is for entertainment only and the author is in no way profiting from it, nor exercising any claims to The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter II – The Letter<strong>

A letter was leaning against one of the mugs.

"_To Kíli, son of Dìs"_

The hand was unfamiliar but Kíli didn't hesitate. He took it, broke the seal and read:

* * *

><p>Dear Kíli,<p>

hopefully you slept deep and well. I'm really sorry for the confusing situation, I should have explained this to you in person, but I was late and I didn't want to wake you so early.

First, don't have a scare; the year is 3025 of the Third Age. Or better the year 7 of the Fourth Age, but it's not that important. The most important thing is that the war is over and the dark forces are gone. It was an enormous war and the times were hard. The final battle took place six years ago and it was the epic battle of your time. But like I said, it's over and Middle Earth is safer now. Let us hope that it was the last war in all your life time.

It's true, you missed a good share of decades (Sorry for the silver streaks in your hair, comes with age.) but it's a small price for being saved. There is no need to worry any more, no actual trouble is brewing in these lands and the roads are clear.

Before you ask: Yes, this house is yours. You mentioned in another story that you like the country style; I hope I met your taste.

This village sits on the foothills south west of Ered Luin. I thought this is more a home for you than anywhere else. I had the feeling that you're not an ordinary dwarf and you prefer to live a little more out in the open. And if you like to see the halls of your people, Ered Luin is only a four hour ride away. There is still a large settlement of your people in the halls of Kelethur. They are in close touch to the village and I think Bofur and Bombur are still among them. In case you go for a visit any time soon, please say hello from the fandom.

Let me think… what do you need to know?

First of all a small surprise: although I deem this for a little weird for breakfast, there is a pizza in the oven as a welcome gift, almost done, so don't let it scorch. You told an OC in another story that this your favorite food. It's salami (a lot of salami!), mushrooms and cheese, enjoy it! It's homemade, not this frozen grub.

I would have loved to give you Netflix, too. But this is still Middle Earth, so no electricity yet, sorry. Instead I left a copy oft Frodo's records on the bookshelf for you. It's a big book; a trilogy (of course!), it will take some time reading it. The title is ''Lord of the Rings''. I assume you will like it and it will get you up to speed. Ah, yes, Frodo! He's actually Bilbo Baggins' nephew. He was on a pretty crazy quest as well (Gandalf's doing, as you can imagine). It has something to deal with Bilbo's ring. But I will not get ahead of it. Read the book, it's really good!

Durin's Day is in about a month and Fíli and his family are on the way for a visit. He's going to stay for the winter, or possibly even longer. I've to admit I lost track of how many children he has by now. But, anyway, this house is big, there is enough room upstairs. If needed the property is large, feel free to expand it.

Your sons are out for a hunting trip. No need to worry again, it's not their first. Moreover, three lads from the village are with them, they are a fine hunting party. You expect them to be back tomorrow. If they are late, don't let them get away with that and flay them alive! They were much too late last time.

A few more trifles: Please don't waste time and wreak havoc in the whole house in search of your bow. The string frayed and needs to be replaced. The bow is on the work bench at the work space in the barn. You're running the villages' carpenter's workshop these days and you're quite skilled and successful I might add. There was already a smithy in the village when you moved over here. No sense in opening another one. And after decades of metal clanging this is better for your hearing anyway.

Ah, and your sword is within reach under your bed.

Before I forget: The black brow pony is big with young. She should be foaling around Durin's Day. Fíli's children will definitely love it.

Enjoy your family gathering this year. For all other questions you might have: ask your brother.

Finally the most important thing: Your wife is sleeping upstairs. Forgive me the confusing little fan-fiction writer magic. I didn't want to spring this on you unprepared. As much as I sought, I couldn't come to know the name of the lass who grew up next door to your childhood home in Ered Luin. I assume there was one who caught your eye and I heard rumors the she really liked you. I couldn't find out anything about her but I'm sure that you remember her. I asked Fíli but he refused to say anything and just gave me something between a knowing smile and a cheeky grin. Very helpful!

So go upstairs to your bedchamber and shout out her name three times loud and clear, and then she will wake. (Ah, by the way, your anniversary is marked on the calendar at the kitchen cabinet, just to get you out of trouble).

Kíli, I know, you're a fighter, a seasoned warrior and not the one who walks away from struggle. I hope this is not too boring for you. But I have the strong feeling that after all what happened; after all you've been through you could need a little rest, some kind of a more peaceful time.

Besides this starting situation I will not meddle any further. Take your life into your own hands, live the life you wish to live. I left a decent pack of empty pages, these pages are for you; they should be good for at least another hundred years or more. Take them as my gift and write your own story.

Give my regards to Fíli and his family when he arrives next week. Have a wonderful Durin's Day and lots of fun and ale. Take care and stay safe and above all: live.

Mahal's blessings,

Your writer, at your service.

Ps.: …thank you for borrowing your hair clasp. It's beautiful. I made a sketch and will craft my own.

* * *

><p>Kíli blinked and then stared...<p>

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> Thank you for reading again and following my little story. This was Kíli's Christmas gift (well, Durin's Day gift). Tell me what you think, will he like it? If you do, please leave a review or a PM, it's good for the motivation. And I really crafted Kíli's clasp, visit me on tumblr, my username is durincrafts.

Thank's Cassandrala for your approval, I hope this makes you smile. Summerald did the beta again, she's the best (hugs!).

Merry Christmas & Mahal's blessings!


	3. Chapter III - Breakfast

**A Gift for Kíli **

**Disclaimer:** The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings and all characters therein are the property of the Tolkien Estate and Wingnut Films. This story is for entertainment only and the author is in no way profiting from it, nor exercising any claims to The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter III - Breakfast<strong>

… _Take your life into your own hands, live the life you wish to live. I left a decent pack of empty pages, these pages are for you; they should be good for at least another hundred years or more. Take them as my gift and write your own story. _

_Give my regards to Fíli and his family when he arrives next week. Have a wonderful Durin's Day and lots of fun and ale. Take care and stay safe and above all: live._

_Mahal's blessings, _

_Your writer, at your service…_

* * *

><p>Kíli blinked and then stared. Unconsciously he slumped heavy into the chair next to him, his bottom hitting the seat with a notable thump. His arms dropped down on the table, one hand still holding the letter.<p>

He couldn't believe it. That was too good to be true.

He shook his head and read again.

The content remained the same.

THAT was clearly a DIFFERENT story.

Kili tried to gather his thoughts, his brain started to work, mind swirling. For the first time in a long while he'd a choice, in a way. He pieced together the sudden news.

_Sons… plural!_

Slowly a small smile played on his lips. _Sons! _Kíli turned his head, facing the empty mugs. Three? His brows drew together. _No_, he decided by himself. _Two!_ The third mug was his. Yes. That must be it.

Then his smile turned into a grin, spreading all over his face. Fíli. Fíli was heading here with his huge FAMILY in tow. That was going to be the best Durins Day celebration since his childhood days. Kíli's grin grew even wider.

A sharp smell of overdone Pizza roused him out of his thoughts. _Mahal's fire, my breakfast_. Kili jumped on his feet and dashed for the oven. He grabbed a cloth and opened the lid. A wave of steam and smoke hit his face. He took the pan with the cloth and threw the whole thing onto the counter. _Ouch_, the cloth was too thin! Kíli shook out his burned finger tips and blew on them. No serious consequences. He eyed the pizza with a skeptical look. Not too much damage as well. _I can cut off the burnt part of the crust,_ he thought, _the major part of it is still eatable_. Kíli swooped for a knife he saw beside the dried dishes, cut off the crust first and then a good slice. He balanced it (it was still very hot) towards his mouth, stretching some cheese threads thereby. He ripped them off by stretching them even more and wound them around the slice.

Finally he took a bite; he closed his eyes and chewed slowly, savoring the flavor pleasing his tongue. _Delicious! _Kíli sighed. He wolfed down the share and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

Outside the morning sun was climbing into a clear blue sky, melting the last autumn haze from the mountain's sides and turning the last shades of dawn into a bright new day. The warm golden light was shafting through the windows into the quiet room. Dust floated in the air, glittering in the rays wandering over the walls and woods. Leaning against the counter with folded arms Kíli took in the whole room again with a pondering sight. _Almost perfect_, he thought, noting some details he would like to add or change: maybe an armchair in front of the fireplace, some more carvings here and there.

But for now there was no more denying where his mind wandered, what was tugging at Kíli's heart and soul. Of course he remembered the lass from next door pretty good. In fact, at first he had met her more often then he'd preferred. Well, not exactly her but her father. Lost in thoughts he rubbed his head, which had endured plenty of unintended rough encounters with Fíli's practice swords those times. It had been embarrassing in the beginning, but later? Not too bad, feeling her soft tender hands dabbing his bumps and scratches when she assisted her father. And of course he had to endure Fíli's teasing that he was behaving stupidly on purpose, just to see her. Older brothers, great! Yes, she was nice, the healers daughter from next door, the daughter of Oín's assistant. He never would have guessed to see her again.

Leaving the remaining pizza on the counter to cool he headed for the stairs with a shy downward smile. Leaping several stairs at a time he found himself in front of the bedchamber door. Kíli paused for a moment and took a deep breath.

With determination he reached for the knob an opened the door…

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>

**Hello and welcome to 2015. I'm back from my Christmas and New Years break. Enough time for Kíli to stomach his Durin's Day gift. Originally I planned to end this story at that point and hand over the reins to Kíli, as promised. If anyone wants' to meet Fíli in this story and witness Durin's Day celebrations, please let me know (it would be all family and fluff, not much action). In that case I've a slight problem: Kíli seems to remember the name of the love of his youth, but I don't! **

**Thank you again for reading, following and your reviews. **

**I'm also on tumblr, my username is durincrafts.**

**Many thanks to summerald for her constant support (and her encouraging fixit!AU, I would be devastated without it.**

**Mahal's blessings!**


	4. Chapter IV - Second Breakfast

**A Gift for Kíli**

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings and all characters therein are the property of the Tolkien Estate and Wingnut Films. This story is for entertainment only and the author is in no way profiting from it, nor exercising any claims to The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter IV – Second Breakfast<strong>

Leaving the remaining pizza on the counter to cool Kíli headed for the stairs with a shy downward smile. Leaping several stairs at a time he found himself in front of the bedchamber door. He paused for a moment and took a deep breath.

With determination he reached for the knob an opened the door…

* * *

><p>It swung open and Kíli stepped in. The bright midmorning sun lit the room.<p>

Someone must have opened the shutters in the meantime, and it seemed that the magic had already begun to fade. The covers which had earlier completely veiled the identity of his sleeping companion were now draped loosely around the shoulders of the sleeping frame, revealing a richness of dark chestnut brown hair flowing all over the pillows. It was wrought with more silver than his, Kíli realized with slight regret. Married to a lad like him seemed to be a challenge, guaranteed! Not to mention raising his sons! Though she was the most resolute lass he'd ever met.

Kíli realized that he still stood in the middle of the room. It was time, but he couldn't simply shout at her. _No_, he thought, if this was going to be his story, it was his to decide how to wake his wife properly! Shouting at her was rude at the last thing he wanted was to scare her, drawing her wrath by causing her stress.

He stepped around the bed and sat on the edge. It was truly her; he remembered her face so very well. It was thinner than all this time back and there were crinkles in the corner of her eyes and around her mouth. But all what mattered was the calm smile drawn all over her face in peaceful slumber. Kíli carefully pushed a silvery strand from her brows, tugging it out of the way. Then he bent and kissed her cheek. And while his lips barely touched her skin he whispered her name three times.

She stirred and rolled over to lie on her back. "Kíli?" she mumbled and stretched without opening her eyes.

"Yes, love," Kíli spoke softly, "I'm here." He wondered how easily that word pass from his lips.

"Hmmm…" she hummed and crawled near, snaking her arms around his waist and snuggling her head in his lap. He put his hand on her shoulder and pulled her close, too willingly relishing that simple moment of closeness.

But then all of a sudden she pulled back with a jerk. She sat up with wide frightened eyes, franticly patting her ears, face and chest with her shaking hands.

Kíli looked at her completely confused, her blue-green eyes (or were they grey? He couldn't tell, he never could) were staring at him.

"Who am I?" she breathed.

"What?" Kíli couldn't make sense of this.

"What am I this time?" she repeated in a pitched voice. "What kind of story is this?"

_Ah_, Kíli realized, _she knew_, but before he could utter a single word she continued.

"What are we, Kíli, what am I? Elf, dwarf, half breed, men, fangirl?" She fell silent with a half sad look and Kíli blinked.

"Hey," he gripped her shoulders and gave her a gentle shake. "Keep calm, we're all dwarf this time, stop this. Everything is alright." He tried to emphasize his reassuring words with a small grin and a single nod and waited for some kind of response.

Finally the tension subsided from her shoulders. She squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed the bridge of her nose between her fingers. "Sorry, love," she winced, "I was all in a fluster… I lost track… too many stories."

Kíli understood all too well and nodded.

Now she looked at him and her face turned slowly in a cheeky grin. "All dwarf?" she asked and tilted her head. "Then we can kiss and talk properly on eye level this time!"

"Eh?" Kíli pretended that he couldn't follow.

"Well," she declared, "nothing against those honorable tall races, but I suppose you're done with constantly straining your poor neck by kissing me when I'm written as an elf. And I have to admit that I've had enough of bending my lower back down all the way to kiss you in return!"

With that she leaned forward and gave him a smacking kiss all across his scrubby cheek and then she threw her arms around his neck. Two wild manes of hair mingled: one black with silver, one dark chestnut brown with a similar shine.

"It's so good to see you Kíli," she whispered in his ear.

He wrapped his arms around her and returned the embrace. "It's good to see you too, Sóley,'' he said. ''I'm so glad we finally met again, I'm so glad it's you."

* * *

><p>"What. Is. This?" Sóley eyed the cooled pizza with a dubious eye.<p>

"That's pizza!" Kíli simply stated, leaning against the counter with folded arms again.

"What?" Sóley looked up with a frown, obviously unsatisfied with that statement.

"It's pizza," Kíli repeated, searching for a better clarification. "Italian food…" He saw the blank look on her face and no sign of recognition. Maybe she'd forgotten the modern AU's. "It's…I… never mind, it's delicious. Here, take a bite… just try."

Kíli cut off a little piece and held it out to Sóley's mouth. She took it from his fingers with her lips and chewed. Kíli waited, full of expectation. She chewed and moved it around in her mouth, thinking.

"Hmm, good," she nodded slowly and swallowed. "Might be better when it's hot," Sóley added, "for supper."

Kíli just shrugged.

"Very well then," Sóley looked around, scanning the kitchen shelves, "what else do we have? I'm hungry, time for breakfast."

"Second breakfast," Kíli retorted softly, deliberately ignoring the diminished pizza.

Sóley ignored his comment, suppressing a grin. "Did you see bread, butter, cheese, honey…? Or better still, some jam? I prefer it sweet."

Together they rummaged the kitchen for breakfast supplies. There was plenty of bread to Sóley's great joy, and the hens had done a good job.

Then Kíli made the defining discovery. "Here!" he called, holding up a jar with dark red jam triumphantly for Sóley to read the label.

"Blackberry jam," she read out loud, "summer 3023 TA. That's my handwriting. Seems you pulled a perfect housewife this time." Sóley gave him a good-natured shoulder shove.

Kíli shook his head with a doubting face. "I think I don't quite believe that's all I've pulled," Kíli looked at her with a twinkle in his eye. "And even so, it could be worse."

Sóley nodded with a smile but didn't comment. "What to drink?" she asked, searching the herb shelf for some kind of tea. She fetched a suspicious shiny coated paper bag. "Earl Grey," she read, looking at the label with a leave entwined white blue star symbol, "United Federation of Planets blend. "Never heard about that before!"

Kíli looked at the bag, confused. "Me either," he said. "Probably it's a leftover from a completely different fandom. But this is my story so we're not in some kind of strange crossover. Maybe it was just forgotten or it's another gift."

Sóley opened the bag and sniffed. "Phew!" she wrinkled her nose. "That's strong. Far too scented for my taste." She held out the bag for Kíli to smell.

Kíli made a face. "Definitely too much flavor," he declared, "anything else?" He flipped through the bags. "Here," he took one and tested the flavor, "this I like much better. Organic Darjeeling," he read.

"…Orga..what?" Sóley asked, completely puzzled.

''No idea," Kíli shrugged. "Whatever, I like the smell and would give it a try."

* * *

><p>About an hour later several eggs, the bread, half a cheese and most of the jam was gone and the third kettle of organic Darjeeling was steaming on the table between the pair of them. Sóley had read Kíli's mysterious letter and was quite happy with it. Now she leaned on the table with her face in her hands, studying her husband with a cheeky smile. Kíli mimicked the gesture and held her gaze. "Well," she said after a while, stretching back in her chair, "here we are, sitting at our kitchen table, chatting about everyday chores like an old couple."<p>

Kíli took up the gauntlet with a mirroring dry sense of humor. "Well," he retorted and gripped a grey strand of his hair, waving it at Sóley's mane, "obviously we are."

Sóley blurted out with laughter. "Oh, come on, Kíli, stop this!" she called out, batting her hand well meant at him. "Don't rub it in!"

"May be it's time to start the day then," Kíli laughed, changing the subject and Sóley agreed:

"Good idea, I'll check the house and sort out all these herbs. And since it looks like that I'm the healer of this village there might be patients to treat. And you go and slip in your male role, look after our ponies and check your carpentry."

Kíli stood and shook his head but he obeyed with a grin.

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><p>Later in the evening a few bumps and bruises all over the village were treated and Sóley had a long pleasurable chat with the neighbor's wife, soaking in all the current gossip. The ponies were fed and brushed down and Kíli's bow was in perfect shape again, in contrast to the barn door he'd used as a practice target to get used to the new bowstring. He only hoped that Sóley would not perceive the cluster of queer holes before he was going to fix it. He'd worked on several pieces of commissioned furniture and planned two comfortable padded chairs for their own kitchen-diner.<p>

For now after supper (crisped up pizza turned out as rather tasty) they'd shoved two chairs in front of the fireplace, sharing a third to put up their feet. Sóley was sunk in a scroll about local herbs, volume one of "The Lord of the Rings" lay in Kíli's lap, forgotten.

Kíli propped his tilted head with his cheek on one fist and just watched her while reading. If her smile was anything to go by she clearly sensed his sight. She didn't look up but tickled his soles with her toes. Warmth spread all through his chest. Then he leaned back and closed his eyes. This life was simple, life was quiet and life was good.

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><p><strong>AN: I desperately needed a happy Kíli!<strong>

** If you're inclined, please leave a comment.**

**Thank you to summerald for being my premium beta again, though she's half buried under real life work and writing her own AU. Her Stories always make my day. **


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